The World Meteorological Organization reports that 2010 will rank in the top three warmest years since 1850 (when instrumental climate records began), and the years 2001-2010 are the warmest ten-year period on record.

Meanwhile, we’ve become less efficient, with energy intensity up 1.5 percent and carbon intensity up 2.4 percent relative to 2009.

Dirty Energy Goes Hand in Hand with Rising CO2 Emissions

Why the increase in carbon intensity? More coal-burning looks to be part of the answer.

Using year-to-date statistics ending in September 2010, the EIA estimates that total U.S. electricity generation increased by about 150,000 thousand megawatt hours over the same period in 2009.

Coal generation was responsible for the largest share, contributingabout 100,000 thousand megawatt hours [xls]. That’s 67 percent of the total increase, a good deal larger than its 45-percent slice of the electrical generation pie.

A Bit of Good News on the Renewable Energy Front Blows In

The energy stats for the year weren’t all bad, thanks in part to renewables.

Increased Renewable Generation: While coal saw huge gains in 2010, non-hydro renewables (including wind) did okay. This category contributes only four percent to the nation’s total electrical generation, but grabbed almost 12 percent of the increase in year-to-date generation, with 80 percent [xls] of that from wind.

Wind capacity grows: As of October, the United States added about 12,500 megawatts of new generation in 2010 (see table below). Of that increase, 35 percent came from coal — less than its market share. The big winner was natural gas — contributing 40 percent of the increase and perhaps indicating a shift to cleaner burning fossil fuels. While not the boom year of 2009 [pdf], wind still managed to contribute 16 percent in 2010, way above its market share.

So there you have it. Not much of a low-carbon treasure trove. But there’s always next year. Have you made all your New Year’s resolutions yet?
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Note: The American Wind Energy Association reports that 2,260 MW of wind capacity has been added through September 2010. AWEA projects [pdf] that projects completed in the fourth quarter will increase 2010’s total to more than 5,000 MWs of added capacity.